Plenary summary: Parliament urges Commission and Member States to combat violence against women

On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted the Parvanova report, which calls on the Commission to present a strategy on combating violence against women.

The report states that such a strategy should devote particular attention to, amongst others, LGBT persons.

The EU LGBT survey shows that violence against LGBT people is a large problem, with over a quarter – 26% – indicating they had been attacked or threatened with violence. For transgender persons this figure is as high as 35%.

Specific recommended measures include the setting up of training programs for police and judicial services in dealing with gender-based violence. The report also calls to train staff in social welfare, child welfare and healthcare to deal with such cases.

The Intergroup on LGBTI Rights is an informal forum for Members of the European Parliament who wish to advance and protect the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Members of the Intergroup would usually take a positive stance on LGBTI issues when they draft reports or amendments, when they vote in the Parliament, or when they deal with constituency affairs.